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Hazards Technology and Fairness (1986) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 97-98

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From page 97...
... But the more general lesson is that public risk analysis is difficult, and lawyers, judges, and lay juries are not well qualified to decide which technologies and activities represent sound, progressive risk investments. The tort system's risk preferences are further scrambled by the fuel on which it feeds.
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From page 98...
... But with diffuse, low-level, public risks, the balance between risk created and risk averted is much more subtle. Anyone can declare with confidence that drunk driving contributes unfavorably to the state of our risk environment.
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Key Terms

  • public risks
  • tort law
  • public risk
  • power plant
  • private risks

  • nuclear waste
  • risk analysis
  • pertussis vaccine
  • polio vaccine
  • waste reprocessing

  • risk environment
  • sabin polio
  • lay juries
  • somewhat risky
  • drunk driving

  • future consumers
  • hazardous conditions


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